Nutcracker.



F. W. MOSER. NUTGRAGKER. APPLIOATIONIIILED D116. 21, 1910.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

I nu e nto r Witnesses;

at cm .dwFS

insure. s rapes raran'r OFFICE.

FRANK W. MOSER,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WOLDERT GROCERY COMPANY,

OF TYLER, TEXAS, A. CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

NUTCRAGKER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Application filed December 21, 1910. Serial No. 598,582.

which clamping jaws are employed, one jaw being fixed and the other movable.

The chief objects of this provide a strong and durable device that will crack without crushing, hard ortsoft shelled nuts by the application of a mod erate force; that can be instantly adjusted to suit the smallest or largest nuts of the varieties for which it is designed; that is adapted to be readily secured to a table or other convenient support, and as the appliance is designed so as to require few parts,

the work of assembling will be correspondingly reduced, and consequently the articles can be manufactured at a greatly reduced cost.

I accomplish the objects above enumerated and others of importance by means of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this application.

The details of construction are disclosed in the following views Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the nut clamping jaws in longitudinal sect-ion, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the operating lever or handle.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a fixed jaw having cast integral therewith an arm or bar 6 which projects at right angles therefrom. The jaw 5 projects downward and has a short arm 7 parallel with the arm 6, and the end of this arm carries a suitable clamping screw 8 so that the device can be readily attached to a table or other convenient suport. P Extending along the upper surface of one edge of the arm 6 is a flange or ledge 9, having gear teeth 10 formed upon one side, the said teeth being integral with the flange and attached thereto by their sides, so that they are vertical relative to the base of the arm 6 and lateral to the flange 9. Slidably invention are to mounted upon the arm 6 is a movable jaw 11, having lateral portions ,12- extending downward upon each side of the support 6. The lower corners of the arm 6 are rabbeted, as shown at 13, and the lower edge of the extensions 12 of the movable jaw are formed with inwardly extending projections which enter the rabbets and retain the jaw in proper slidable relation with the arm and rack. A stop pin 14 near the outer end of the arm 6 engages a notch 12 in the jaw and prevents the latter'from slipping from the end of its support. The jaw 11 is operated by a lever 15 one end of which is provided upon one side with a cylindrical head or trunnion 16, which is fitted to turn in a suitable hole or socket 17 formed in one side of the jaw 11 opposite the rack-teeth 10, the depth of the hole being sufficient to allow the inner face of the head to a'pproachtheside of the rack teeth but not engage them.

Projecting from'the inner face of the head 16 is a pin 18 which is adapted to engage the rack teeth 10. This pin 18 is fixed in the head 16 eccentric to the axis of the latter and the device is analogous in its form and function to a crown gear having a single tooth. The pin 18 is so arranged that when the lever 15 is in its initial position, shown in Fig. 1, the pin will be disengaged from the teeth of the rack, the relation of the parts being shown in dotted outlines in said figure. The bottom or inner wall of the socket 17 is deepened at one part by a recess 19, into which the pin will enter when the lever is in its initial or inoperative position thus throwing the pin out of engagement with the rack, and when thus freed from the rack the jaw 11 and attached lever can be readily slid in either direction on the bar 6 to approximate or separate the cooperating jaws to engage nuts varying in size. The lever is prevented from becoming dislodged from its bearing by a cotter pin 20 which passes through a suitable opening in the part 12 of the sliding jaw.

The manner of operating my improved nut cracker is quite simple and will be readily understood by unskilled persons. The device having been firmly clamped to a table or other support, the operator holds a nut in the concave recess in the face of the fixed jaw and slides the movable jaw forward until it engages the nut. This movement of the jaw must of course be made while the lever is in its inoperative position, with the pin or tooth 18 free from the rack. As soon as the nut is engaged by both jaws, the lever is raised thus bringing the pin 18 into engagement with the rack teeth 10, and a continuation of the lever movement will force the jaws together with sufiicient power to crack the nut. As soon as the nut is cracked the lever is lowered to its initial position and the jaw 11 drawn back so that the broken nut can be removed. Owing to the ease and quickness with which the pin and rack can be thrown into and out of mesh, the operation of cracking nuts of any size and variety is rendered much more rapid than with the ordinary devices.

It will be apparent that the moving of the lever automatically effects the engagement and disengagement of the pin 18 and rackteeth, and at the same time the weight of the lever is being carried by the device and not by the operator. -The lever also serves as a convenient handle for moving the sliding jaw back and forth while the pin is housed in the recess 19, and hence free from the rack-teeth.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, is I 1. In a nut cracker, the combination with a fixed jaw, an arm on said jaw, a rack on said arm, and a jaw slidablymounted on said arm and rack, of a lever having a cylindrical member attached thereto, said member rotatably mounted in said jaw, a pin projecting from said member and eccentric thereto and adapted-to be thrown into and out of engagement with said rack by the operation of said lever.

2. In a nut cracker, thecombination with a. fixed j aw, an arm extending laterally from said jaw, a rack on said arm, and a jaw slidably mounted on said arm and having a recess in one side, of a lever having a head journaled in said recess, a pin projecting laterally from said head and adapted to engage said rack and jaw.

3. In a device of the character set forth, a fixed jaw, a toothed bar extending at right angles to said jaw, a jaw slidably mounted on said bar and having a shouldered recess therein above the plane of the teeth on said bar, and means for operating said jaw comprising a lever having a head journaledin the recess in the jaw, and a pin projecting from said head and adapted to engage said recess when the lever is m one position, and

to engage the teeth only when t e lever is in a different position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK W. MOSER. Witnesses:

F. BENJAMIN, J. A. BENJAMIN. 

